The Wilson Family at Home

“If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment”

— Carlos Santana

I'm pretty sure you've never met someone with a bigger smile than George... aka Mike. I remember doing box jumps at Iron Tribe a couple months ago and he tripped, somehow gashing his arm open (to the point of stitches) and he just kept on smiling and tried to keep jumping (though the coaches promptly stopped him to prevent further injury). 

Then after he got the stitches, he still kept smiling, and kept coming back to the gym as if nothing had ever happened. I was so impressed. It was no surprise to me that photographing his family was a breeze. The whole family was just so happy and willing to do any of the crazy things I suggested, sure to include little Max along the way. 

Of course Blake and Austin were all too willing to pick on each other and their home and neighborhood served as a perfect backdrop for their portraits. Hope you enjoy a few of these favorites from the day!

Stoner Family Session at Lake Norman

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future”

— Earl Nightingale

These cutie pies always know how to have a good time! From roaring like a lion, pretending to be superman, and showering mommy in kisses to seeing how many times they can roll down the hill before they get sick; I always love hanging out with Charlie and Finn! As soon as I got to their house Charlie immediately grabbed my hand and started walking me toward his art gallery so he could tell me about every single one, and Finn talked about all the things he loves in the color red. (especially my car...2 points) :)

Chrissy always manages to find a new location for us to shoot and this time we were both blown away with the gorgeous grasses surrounding the lake at their golf club. That mixed with the gorgeous golden sunset made last night a dream. 

Forever grateful for my ever expanding family so many opportunities to spend time with them. 

Rose Garden Family Portraits | Rafidi Family

“We do not remember days, we remember moments”

— Cesare Pavese

Engagement, wedding, maternity, and now two kiddos and 5 years later these two are still deeply in love and crazy about their incredible girls. We had plenty of time to catch up as little Grace led us around The Raleigh Rose Garden seeking the best rose and the coolest hiding places.

Johnny said his favorite thing about two girls is that they really love each other. Next, Hannah asked Grace who her best friend was and without hesitation she said Zoe. Apparently they love to fall asleep next to each other and wake up giggling. I love that SO much! Siblings are the very best!

The garden was of course, still beautiful, with or without the fall sunshine, still vibrant and filled with flowers! I hope you guys enjoy a few of these images from this afternoon!

Ward Family at Home

“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.”

— Maya Angelou

Oh my goodness these cutie pies are SO much fun to photograph! Always with huge smiles on their faces and words of encouragement and kindness on their lips. It's hard to believe we've been friends for so many years now. I absolutely LOVE these two little ones and Emi's expressions on this shoot are to die for! 

When Kathryn told me little Emi was catching a cold we debated postponing the shoot but she suggested using their backyard instead of a park in case we needed to take her in real quick and of course it worked like a charm! They have a super cute little neighborhood so we were able to include the kiddos AND Gnarles their incredible pup...who is a pretty big fan of kisses ;) 

Sloane, as always, was a gem, and more than willing to accept all of Gnarles' kisses! 

The Nardi Family at Moses Cone Park

“Clouds come floating into life, not to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to the sunset sky”

— Rabindranath Tagore

It has been quite a while since I've been able to spend time with these cuties, though not without effort. Every trip to Boone where I have a free slot we attempt to make a photo session work out and it seems every thing from schedules to the weather to sick kiddos has prevented it. This time, however, I had a last minute cancellation from another family and on a whim sent Lindsey a text to see if they could pull it off and it worked! 

My kind of people are the ones who tend to thrive on chaos like myself. Life just seems too boring when every detail is planned. As usual with kiddos, I let Bentley and Parker guide most of the session, leading us to the parts of the park they thought were the coolest while I found the best light in each spot. Lindsey and Brandon are, of course, always super laid back and we spent the time chasing the kiddos catching up on the past year. Gonna miss these guys in Florida, but can't wait to come back and visit! Love you guys!

Sometimes it's hard to make all the kiddos happy at the same time, I loved that Lindsey was able to take little Parker off for a few quiet moments to calm him while Brandon and Bentley played. Beautiful moments can be captured when you're focused on having a good time with your family rather than trying to get the perfect shot. 

Luca's First Birthday!

“Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter”

— Brad Henry

I am pretty sure you've never met a more adorable and beautiful family than the Beldens. Not only are they gorgeous but they are such amazing assets in the community, loved by everyone they meet and doing everything they can to make a positive impact in our city. 

It's just an added bonus that Lyla and Luca are the most adorable Gerber models out there. I just died when they pulled Luca out of the car shirtless and barefooted and started putting on his suspenders! He has the very best personality already and just loves to explore all the things. 

Something that doesn't always come across in family portraits are the images in between the good ones. Poor Lyla was not excited about having her photo taken and decided to pout in the corner while we took photos of Luca...but then, she didn't want to be left out. She couldn't make up her mind between participating in what the family was doing (which she didn't want to do) and being alone. Such good life lessons. 

Eventually we were able to promise her that if she'd participate, and be happy about it, I would come back to her house after to eat ice cream (for breakfast) and play with her favorite toys. Did I mention I have the best job on the planet? SUCH a great day! Thank you guys for allowing me to capture this special day! 

(this is a flash back from Lyla's one year session a couple years ago... notice any similarities) :) 

Raleigh Rose Garden | Elin Turns One!

“Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine”

— Snow White

I remember meeting these cuties when Sweet Elin was still in her mommy's tummy. They were so excited to welcome her into the world and she has made quite an impact already! She is full of smiles and loves music and birthday cake! (so does big brother Everett) ;)

The Rose Garden was absolutely perfect last night for Elin's birthday cake debut and she did not disappoint! Her favorite part might have been knocking it over, but had a blast and gave us lots of great smiles as she bathed in icing. Hope you enjoy a few of these favorites from the night!

Gabriel Turns One!

“Girl, n. A giggle with glitter on it.
Boy, n.: a noise with dirt on it.”

— Not Your Average Dictionary

Oh my goodness, I've been capturing memories for these two since little Noelle was still in her momma's belly. Now Gabriel is turning one and it's hard to imagine where the time went!

We planned this shoot months ago for the NC History Museum expecting it to be freezing outside so Gabe and Noelle could marvel at the dinosaurs and we could all stay a little warmer. That ended up not being necessary though; it's almost 80 degrees outside today! I will take it, love me some spring weather in the middle of winter! We ended up hanging out on the Capitol Building's lawn so we could include some green trees and grass with Gabe's one year balloons.

I just love how these two already love each other! Sometimes kiddos don't respond well to snuggling and kisses but Noelle was more than happy to stay right by her Gabe and make sure he could walk around without falling. I hope you enjoy a few of these favorites from this morning!